“Evaluating the welfare effects of tsetse and tick technologies on livestock producers in Kenya.”
University
University of Nairobi
Area of Focus
Agricultural Economics
Education
Kavengi Kitonga is enrolled as a PhD candidate in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. She holds an MA in Economic Policy Management and a BA in Economics from the University of Nairobi. She is also a 2019 recipient of the Africa Regional Postgraduate Programme in Insect Sciences (ARPPIS) PhD scholarship, a collaborative programme between the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Kavengi is also a recipient of the inaugural 2018 Genebank Impacts Fellowship Program of the Crop Trust, developed to systematically evaluate the impacts of the international gene-banks managed by CGIAR Centers. CGIAR is the world’s largest global agricultural innovation network.
Research & Work
Kavengi’s general research interests include impact assessment, development economics and food systems. Her current research is focused on evaluating the role of tsetse fly and tick management control strategies in enhancing the welfare of smallholder livestock farmers. Within the region, African Animal Trypanosomiasis and Theileriosis diseases, which are caused by tsetse flies and ticks, though serious, remain neglected areas of research. Through her research, Kavengi is documenting the economic burden of these diseases and providing up-to-date empirical evidence that can support policy implementation in Africa Further, Kavengi’s research explores innovative tsetse fly and tick management technologies that can help transform the welfare of smallholders farmers by keeping their livestock healthy and productive.
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